Not His Job
by Siriuscaptainofthejilyship
Summary: Lily's upset and James wants to help, but maybe he's not the right person to do it. But can he become someone more than he already is in Lily's life? Read and Review Please.
1. Chapter 1

"Alright Evans?" James Potter said as he entered the common room, his broomstick in his hand and his hair sticks up oddly from him nervously running his hand through it.

Lily Evans sat, legs-crossed, in an armchair by the window, her discarded Charms homework on the floor next to her, a book in her hands.

She looked up when she heard her name, but frowned when she saw the caller.

"I'm fine" she sniffed and returned to her book, facing the other way from him, her hair shielding most of her face.

Her Red hair was floaty and silky, what James wouldn't do to run his hands through it.

He looked closer and saw the tears that she'd tried to hold back, running down her face. Her eyes weren't focused on her words infront of her, but blinking furiously in an attempt to stop the tears.

His heart ached. He wanted to wipe the tears away. To hug her and comfort her. He wanted to make everything alright again.

But that wasn't his job.

He wasn't the boyfriend, or the best friend, or even just someone who was there. James Potter was the one she had hated since there first meeting on the train, and a hatred of 5 years was the reason he couldn't do anything.

He glanced at Lily again; the flow of tears had stopped but she still looked broken, and he wanted to fix her.

"Er, Evans?" He began

Lily had turned her head, he took this as a sign for him to continue.

"Are you okay?" He asked "because you were..." He drifted off.

"I was what?" She said monotonously, looking down and wringing her hands in her lap.

"You were crying, and I just thought that maybe you umm...needed someone to talk too?" He asked quickly, stumbling over his words a little.

Lily look up, the shock apparent in her glittering eyes. James could still see the streaks the tears had left on her cheeks.

The shocked look disappeared off her face quickly and was replaced by a hard focused one.

"Don't be stupid" she snapped "I'm not crying,I've got a cold. Your also distracting me from my work, what is it? Did you loose Sirius? I'm sure if you whistle he'll come"

James wasn't taken aback. He'd gone through years of this and it had stopped bothering him.

Well maybe not completely.

She'd angrily pulled her Charms work towards her and was scribbling furiously, she had deliberately turned away so that she didn't have to look at him.

James sighed and turned around, making his way out of the common room to find Sirius.

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Should I continue?


	2. Chapter 2

Sirius was, as James expected, unscrewing a chandelier on the second floor corridor.

"I'm pretty sure if you unscrew it any more its going to fall right here and now" James said, making Sirius jump.

Sirius turned around and shrugged, standing back to admire his handiwork, his smile that of a 3 year old opening a present on christmas.

"Won't Snape get the surprise of his life when that thing comes crashing around him tomorrow" he said happily. "Too bad Moony can't be here to witness what might be the greatest prank we ever pulled on old Snivellus" he sighed.

"Wait, I thought Moony was being let out of the hospital wing tonight?" James said confused.

"Madam Pomfrey said his scratches haven't healed" Sirius said quietly "he was worse last night, because we weren't there" He added in a whisper.

James recalled last night when he and Sirius had detentions and couldn't go, Peter refused to go alone with Remus, which was understandable considering the size difference between a mouse and a sighed, next month would be better. They would all go and it won't be so bad for Remus.

"So why couldn't you help me unscrew this thing" Sirius asked gesturing to the chandelier.

"I had to take care of some things" James replied quickly, not wanting Sirius to know he'd been held up because of an argument with Lily again.

"Well if you had come to help you would have heard the extraordinary piece of news Mary MacDonald told me" Sirius said grinning.

James snorted. "Why believe anything MacDonald says? Last month she told you that Alexis had your picture under her pillow"

"I'm still sure she does" Sirius replied

"Even after she hit you with your beaters bat?" James laughed.

"Even after that". Sirius said solemnly, the corner of his mouth twitched.

James looked him in the eye and Sirius staring back, grinning now. Soon they were both in hysterics.

"I know it's true, she got it from Lily herself." Sirius said, wiping away tears of laughter.

"Wait its about Lily?" James inquired.

"Surprised you don't know yet, considering you stalk her." Sirius grinned

James hit him on the arm playfully "I do not stalk her!" He protested.

"You look at where she is every hour on the map, if that's not stalker-ish behaviour then I don't know what is" Sirius said shaking his head at James.

James sighed "My apparent Stalker-ish behaviour aside-"

"There's no apparent about it" Sirius interrupted

"-What did MacDonald tell you?" James continued giving Sirius a look.

"Well she didn't tell me so much as shouted it at me" Sirius said wincing at the memory. "She screamed at me to stop being stupid and immature like all the male population of this school, I asked her why and she replied with a 10 minute rant on how men are liars, douchebags and don't take into account others feelings."

"How does this relate to Lily exactly?" James asked.

"Because my dear James" Sirius began "the reason MacDonald was so aggressive against the male population was because Evans has recently been through a tough breakup with a certain Mr Fenwick, she was sure to tell me how much of a dickhead Benjy was and how she was trying to find him to slap him around a little."

"Lily and Fenwick broke up?" James asked eyes wide.

"One hundred percent over" Sirius smiled "isn't it fantastic?"

"Yeah it's great" James said "just great..."

Would he have a chance now?

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Read and Review


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Lily left the dormitory alone, checking her reflection in the mirror one last time to make sure she hadn't left any tear streaks. She closed the door quietly behind her as not to wake her friends. They hadn't heard her sobbing last night because she'd muffled it with her pillows, she didn't want to talk to them because it was just too hard.

Lily wasn't upset because she broke up with Benjy, it was the fact she'd opened her heart to the Ravenclaw. She had told him things that no one else knew. Things about her family, about Petunia. Private things that not even her parents or best friends knew about. Now she regretted it.

It wasn't that Benjy was bad person, he wouldn't tell anyone. It was that Lily had kept these things hidden for so long and had told Benjy because she had thought he was special. They had been dating for a year and she had thought that it would last much longer. She had been mistaken.

That Tuesday morning as Lily Evans made her way down to the Great Hall alone, lost in thought, James Potter had also decided to go for an early breakfast.

And only by chance would they both have left their respective dormitories at the same time that morning.

Upon seeing Lily , James smiled and met her eyes while she turned to look away. He quickly changed his expression and also turned to look away. Both stood awkwardly in the silence neither knowing what to say.

"Look Potter I'm sorry for yelling at you last night, I just wasn't having the best day." Lily managed to say not looking directly at James.

"Um, it's alright honestly." He replied, running his hands through his hair "Really let's just forget about it".

Lily sighed. "Thanks" was all she said before making her way to Potions, she didn't really feel hungry any more.

James was left more confused than ever.

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Review please.


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